Chinese visitors now the biggest spenders in Singapore

Tourists from China at the Merlion earlier this year. They were the biggest spenders here last year, splurging $2.981 billion, followed by Indonesian visitors, who shelled out $2.978 billion. -- ST PHOTO: LIM SIN THAI

By Melissa Lin And Janice Heng

Visitor numbers from China plunged in the last three months of 2013 after a new tourism law kicked in there - but this did not stop the Chinese from spending the most money here that year.

Arrivals by Chinese travellers fell 31 per cent in the fourth quarter of last year but their spending rose slightly - by 1 per cent - compared with the same period in 2012.

Fewer Chinese came on multi-country package tours, but more travelled here on their own, said Mr Edward Chew, the Singapore Tourism Board's (STB) point man for Greater China.

"These travellers tend to stay longer than those on multi-destination package tours," he added.